Excitation waves are propagating spatiotemporal structures observed in many biological, chemical, and physical systems. They can be described as a reaction-diffusion (RD) wave in which an autocatalytic reaction zone propagates via diffusion without mass transport. More common types of RD waves are the propagation of an action potential in a nerve, the spread of electrical depolarization waves on the heart surface, the (human spectator) stadium wave, or a forest fire.
All RD systems can be described with one set of coupled, nonlinear differential equations. I will introduce this research field and show how the benign condition Geographic Tongue (characterized by spatio-temporal lesions on the surface of the human tongue) is related to visualizing the Gravitational Lensing Effect of light.
Join us on Friday, Feb. 6, for this exciting presentation from Niklas Manz, associate professor of physics at the College of Wooster. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!